Policy 6435 – Start College Now Program

The Start College Now Program is a post-secondary participation program sponsored by the Wisconsin Technical Colleges. This program is available to high school students in grades eleven and twelve who meet the program requirements and may be able to earn both high school and technical college credit. Students wishing to participate in the Start College Now Program may not be concurrently enrolled in the Wisconsin Early College Credit Program. Online courses offered by eligible technical college providers should be treated in the same manner as courses offered on a technical college campus. The Start College Now Program opens the door to greater learning opportunities for students wishing to begin college early or students who want to prepare to enter the workforce immediately after high school graduation. All students enrolled in grades ten and eleven in the district shall be informed of the Start College Now Program annually, prior to October 1 of the preceding school year.

Decisions regarding comparability of courses, satisfaction of district graduation requirements and the awarding of high school credit for courses taken through the Start College Now Program are made in accordance with state law and established district procedures.

Through the Start College Now Program, students may receive both high school and technical college credit for successfully completed courses. District high schools grant a diploma to students who successfully complete district high school graduation requirements, regardless of whether the student satisfied all or any portion of the requirements through the Start College Now Program.

The School Board is responsible for the pre-established costs associated with students’ enrollment in a technical college course under the Start College Now Program if the course is taken for high school credit and the course is not comparable to a course offered in the district. The district shall pay its respective portion for no more than a maximum of 18 postsecondary credits per student through either the Start College Now Program or the Early College Credit Program.

LEGAL REF.:

  • Wisconsin Statutes
    • Sections 38.12(14) [Attendance at Technical College]
    • 115.76(5) [Children with disabilities]
    • 118.13 [Student nondiscrimination]
    • 118.33 [High school graduation standards]
    • 118.145 (4) [Private school/parochial school participation in high school courses]
    • 118.51 [Full-time Open Enrollment]
    • 118.153(1)(a)[Children at risk of not graduating high school]
    • 118.55 [Early College Credit Program]

CROSS REF.:

  • 5110 – Equal Educational Opportunity/Discrimination Complaint
  • 5260 – Full Time Open Enrollment
  • 5310 – Student Attendance
  • 6421 – Services for Students with Disabilities
  • 6423 – Talent Development Program
  • 6426 – Student Program or Curriculum Modifications
  • 6450 – Early College Credit Program
  • 6456 – Graduation Requirements
  • Special Education Program and Procedure Manual

ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS: None

AFFIRMED: March 27, 2018

Rule 6435 – Start College Now Program

All students in high school grades eleven and twelve and who meet the program requirements defined by law are eligible to participate in the Wisconsin Technical College Program “Start College Now”. The student must:

  • complete the tenth grade.
  • be in good academic standing.
  • not be a child as defined as at-risk as defined by WI statute 118.153 (1)(a)
  • complete the application for the Start College Now Program
  • notify the school board of the district in which they are enrolled, through a high school counselor or designee, of the student’s intent to enroll in a Wisconsin Technical College. The deadlines for filing the form are no later than March 1 for the fall semester and October 1 for the spring semester. The notice shall include the titles of the courses in which the pupil intends to enroll, the number of credits of each course and shall specify whether they are taking the courses for high school and/or post-secondary credit.
  • not be considered ineligible to participate in the program for failure to reimburse the district for a technical college of Early College Credit Program course they failed to complete or in which they received a failing grade.

The student’s parent/guardian is responsible for satisfactory student attendance and compliance with the state compulsory school attendance law. Nonresident open enrollment students attending courses in the District have all the rights and privileges of resident students and are subject to the same rules and regulations as resident students.

A student may not simultaneously participate in Start College Now courses and courses in institutions of higher education through the Early College Credit Program.

The board or designee shall determine whether a postsecondary course is eligible for high school credit, how many high school credits may be awarded, and whether the course is comparable to a course offered in the district. Such decisions shall be made consistent with state law requirements and established by district procedures. Students in grades eleven and twelve may be eligible to take technical college courses during the fall and spring semesters. Participation in the Start College Now Program and the Early College Credit Program is limited to a total of 18 post-secondary semester credits, though there is no annual or semester limits.

Admission and Notification

The technical college district board shall admit the pupil to the technical college if he or she meets the requirements and prerequisites of the course or courses for which he or she applied, except as follows:

  • The district board may admit a pupil to a course only if there is space available in the course after admitting to the course all individuals applying for admission to the course who are not attending the technical college under the Start College Now Program.
  • The district board may reject an application from a pupil who has a record of disciplinary problems, as determined by the district board.
  • If a child attends a technical college under the Start College Now Program, the technical college shall ensure that the child’s educational program meets the high school graduation requirements. At least 30 days before the beginning of the technical college semester in which the pupil will be enrolled, the school board shall notify the pupil, in writing, if the requested course does not meet the high school graduation requirements and whether the course is comparable to a course offered in the school district. If the pupil disagrees with the school board’s decision regarding comparability of courses or satisfaction of high school graduation requirements, the pupil may appeal the school board’s decision to the state superintendent within 30 days after the decision. The state superintendent’s decision is final and is not subject to review. The pupil is eligible to receive both high school and technical college credit for courses successfully completed at the technical college.
  • A school board may refuse to permit a pupil to attend a technical college if the pupil is a child with a disability, as defined in Wisconsin statute 115.76 (5), and the school board determines that the cost to the school district would impose an undue financial burden on the school district.

Responsibility of Costs Between the District and the Technical College

For each pupil attending a technical college, the school board shall pay to the technical college district board, in two installments payable upon initial enrollment and at the end of the semester, for those courses taken for high school credit, an amount equal to the cost of tuition, course fees, and books that a pupil who is attending the technical college and who is a resident of this state would be charged, except that the school board is not responsible for payment for any courses that are comparable to courses offered in the school district. If a pupil who is attending a technical college is a child with a disability, as defined in Wisconsin statute 115.76 (5), the payment shall be adjusted to reflect the cost of any special services required for the pupil.

Responsibility of Pupil for Tuition and Fees

A pupil taking a course at a technical college for high school credit is responsible for the tuition and fees for the course if the school board has determined that the course is comparable to a course offered in the school district. A pupil would also be responsible for any fees for technical college courses that exceed the credit limit specified in the local policy and authorized by current Wisconsin statutes.

The parent/guardian or student is responsible for transportation between the school and the participating Start College Now Program. The parent or guardian of a pupil who is attending an institution of higher education or technical college and is taking a course for high school credit may apply to the state superintendent for reimbursement of the cost of transporting the pupil between the high school in which the pupil is enrolled and the institution of higher education or technical college that the pupil is attending if the pupil and the pupil’s parent or guardian are unable to pay the cost of such transportation. The state superintendent shall determine the reimbursement amount and shall pay the amount. The state superintendent shall give preference to those pupils who satisfy the income eligibility criteria for a free or reduced-price lunch.

If a pupil receives a failing grade in a course, or fails to complete a course, at an institution of higher education or technical college for which the school board has made payment, the pupil’s parent or guardian, or the pupil if he or she is an adult, shall reimburse the school board the amount paid on the pupil’s behalf upon the school board’s request. If a school board that requests reimbursement of a payment made is not reimbursed as requested, the pupil on whose behalf the payment was made is ineligible for any further participation in the program. A grade that constitutes a failing grade for a course offered in the school district constitutes a failing grade for a course taken at an institution of higher education or technical college.